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Bournemouth based blocks of flats insurance specialist, Deacon, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Head of Business, Penny Jepson, celebrated by explaining “Our clients can see that we have stood the test of time and that we are continually expanding the business and adapting our product range to keep aheadof the market.”

There is talk that the sequel to the hugely successful Sex and the City film will be partly shot in London – whisking Carrie Bradshaw and her pals out of the Big Apple. The sequel to the original movie will reflect the  current economic climate and be more in tune with the credit crunch, rather than the flaunting of endless cash displayed in the first one, according to inside sources. A source gave fans food for thought for the sequel, saying, “The sequel will include key scenes of Carrie and Mr Big in

News that the UK officially went into recession in the final quarter of 2008 was shortly followed by advice from the Catholic church suggesting that worried citizens should pray to the patron saint of bankers for help in the economic downturn. With a stabilisation of property prices still to come the most sensible option is to be fastidious with finances and personal affairs. Every cloud has a silver lining and flat owners with long leases should take advantage of lower property values and extend their

Deacon – one of the UK’s leading blocks of flats insurance specialists and part of the Property & Commercial Division of Barbon Insurance Group – has further expanded its New Business team with the appointment of Hannah Baker and Dele Omnisore as New Business Account Executives. Also at Deacon, the in-house Claims Department has recently hired a team of new handlers. Sir Michael Pitt has been appointed as the Chair of new Infrastructure Planning Commission. The IPC will be the body that will take decision

You have been looking for a new Porter to replace someone who has been at your block for 15 years, you have found a candidate with a great CV who seems to have had sufficient experience in a block similar to yours - recruitment problem solved. Three months pass and you notice that bank statements and bills are being sent to your block, addressed to the Porter who does not live in. Then a couple of bailiffs turn up in reception looking for him in connection with a £20,000 credit card debt, then, if that is

News on the Block talks to Colin Stokes about an innovative communication solution for managing agents. NOTB Where is the history of Adiuvo? Can you tell us a little about your business and your goals?CS Our company consists of two property managers (one former lettings manager and one former block manager). We felt the out of hours provisions available to Property Companies were expensive, lacked expertise and professionalism and decided to change that with both a call handling and full response (includi

Last Month BBC Watchdog did a programme on flat management, specifically the need for regulation of managing agents. However, what the programme actually presented was the standard group of disgruntled leaseholders moaning about what rotters managing agents are and how disgraceful it is that there is nothing they can do about it. It was bizarre, a bit Life on Mars, as though the 2002 Act did not exist. Every thinking person involved in flat management supports the case for proper regulation with the only

Cockroaches are perhaps the best known and the least liked invertebrate pest found in domestic and commercial environments - they are a serious threat to health and cause many other problems. They foul food and  spread disease e.g. salmonella,tuberculosis, gasteroenteritis. Their presence also causes fear and distress to many people. Because they eat almost anything they can also damage many goods other than food such as books, tapestries, leather goods, pictures. Cockroaches may enter your premises thro

Despite the severity and depth of the recession, the role of the residential block manager is not redundant. Residents always need the services of good managing agents, and managing agents always need skilled and experienced staff . Theoretically,even an economic squeeze, the block management recruitment market remains active. The state of the economy has hit housebuilders hard, so fewer apartments are currently in development. Many managing agents are seeing a decrease in business, and therefore retent

It has already been seven years since the last piece of major legislation affecting flats hit the statute books in the form of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. At the forthcoming Annual Conference of the Leasehold Advisory Service, future policy with regard to leasehold property will be debated and discussed.Speakers include Siobhan McGrath, Senior President of the Residential Property Tribunal Service andNicolas Shulman, Honorary Consultant to the Federation of Private Residents Associations

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has promised to spend £22 million renovating 1300 derelict properties and turn them into liveable homes. Separately, in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, a further £135 million has been committed to creating 3000 aff ordable homes and kickstarting five stalled development sites around the capital leading to the construction of up to 6000 homes. Commenting on theproject, The Mayor said: “As this rolls out thousands of construction sector jobs will be s

RICs has issued a new guidance note concerning the valuation of new build properties. From 1 May 2009, valuers should differentiate between the new build premium – that portion of the price paid which will evaporate as soon as a newly-built property is occupied - and those value-adding factors (such as better building materials, enhanced insulation levels, or more efficient heating systems) which are intrinsic to a new property and which will remain when the home is sold.